Dry-cleaning compositions containing polysulfonic acid

• US 6,086,634 A
• Filed: 08/04/1997
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Custom Cleaner, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Custom Cleaner, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAMOND, ALAN D
• Application Number:
  US08/905,328
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 8/137, 8/142, 510/285, 510/287, 510/289, 510/290, 510/291, 510/295, 510/297, 510/283, 510/282, 510/281, 442/59, 383/116, 383/42, 383/63, 383/95, 383/97
• US Class Current: 8/142
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/047 Arrangements specially adapted for dry cleaning or laundry dryer related applications
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/001 Softening compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3776 Heterocyclic compounds, e.g. lactam
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/378 (Co)polymerised monomers containing sulfur, e.g. sulfonate
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/43 Solvents
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/58 by applying, incorporating or activating chemical or thermoplastic bonding agents, e.g. adhesives in combination with needling D04H1/488
• CPC Class Codes: D06L 1/00 Dry-cleaning or washing fibres, filaments, threads, yarns, fabrics, feathers or made-up fibrous goods
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 23/02 Processes in which the treating agent is releasably affixed or incorporated into a dispensing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/20 Coated or impregnated woven, knit, or nonwoven fabric which is not [a] associated with another preformed layer or fiber layer or, [b] with respect to woven and knit, characterized, respectively, by a particular or differential weave or knit, wherein the coating or impregnation is neither a foamed material nor a free metal or alloy layer

Abstract

This invention relates to dry-cleaning systems which include dry-cleaning compositions which contain polysulfonic acid and water, and a bag for the cleaning and containment of soiled fabric articles. The invention also relates to methods of using the dry-cleaning system and dry-cleaning composition.

Claims

1. A dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening system comprising

(a) a dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition comprising polysulfonic acid and water;

and

(b) a bag formed of vapor impermeable material and including an opening comprising a fastening system.

2. The dry-cleaning and/or fabric freshening system of claim 1, wherein the bag has an interior surface, and at least a portion of the interior surface has an effective amount of the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition releasably absorbed thereinto, wherein the bag is formed of a flexible non-porous material which is not substantially damaged upon exposure to agitation and to a temperature effective to cause the release of the dry-cleaning and/or fabric freshening composition from the interior surface.

3. A process for cleaning or freshening a soiled fabric article with a dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition, the process comprising:

(a) placing into a bag the soiled fabric article and an effective amount of a dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition comprising polysulfonic acid and water;

wherein the bag is formed of vapor impermeable material and includes an opening comprising a fastening system;

(b) closing the fastening system;

(c) tumbling the bag in a rotary clothes dryer at an elevated temperature, so that the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition contacts the soiled fabric article within the bag so as to effectively disperse the soil; and

(d) opening the fastening system and removing the cleaned or freshened fabric article from the bag.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric freshening composition is present on a substrate.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of a sheet, a sponge, a dauber, a stick, granules and a cube.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein the substrate is a sheet.

7. The process of claim 3, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition contains between about 0.25 and about 20 weight percent polysulfonic acid.

8. The process of claim 3, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition contains between about 10 and about 99.75 weight percent water.

9. The process of claim 3, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition further comprises at least one water-miscible or partially water-miscible organic solvent.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of glycol ethers, liquid polyethylene glycols, C₂ -C₄ polyols, lactones and mixtures thereof.

11. The process of claim 9, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of dipropylene glycol n-propyl ether, dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether, tripropylene glycol methyl ether, 3-methoxy-3-methyl-1-butanol and γ

-butyrolactone.

12. The process of claim 9, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition contains between about 1 and about 85 weight percent of the organic solvent.

13. The process of claim 3, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition further includes surfactants.

14. The process of claim 13, wherein the surfactants are present in the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition in an amount between about 0.01 and about 10 weight percent.

15. The process of claim 3, wherein the dry-cleaning composition further includes gelling agents or viscosity modifiers.

16. The process of claim 3, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition further includes an agent selected from the group consisting of fabric-softening agents, anti-creasing agents, anti-soil agents, bacteriostatic agents, brightening agents, bodying agents, dyes, fiber emollients, finishing agents, fragrances, germicides, lubricants, mildew-proofing agents, moth-proofing agents, shrinkage controllers, sizing agents, and mixtures thereof.

17. The process of claim 3, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition further includes a compound having a vapor tension of less than or equal to 4 Pa at 25°

C., which is selected from the group consisting of C₁₀ -C₁₂ aliphatic alcohols, C₁₀ -C₁₃ aldehydes, C₁₃ -C₁₈ aliphatic ketones, aromatic ketones having a musk odor and up to 18 carbon atoms, C₈ -C₁₅ aliphatic esters, methyl anthranilate, methyl N-methylanthranilate, p-cresyl phenylacetate, amyl salicylate, coumarin, dihydrocoumarin, gammadecalactone, dodecalactone, undecalactone, eugenol, isoeugenol, diphenyl oxide, the methyl and ethyl ethers of naphthol, galaxolide, indole and its reaction products with hydroxycitronella, tridecene-2-nitrile, and 2-(2'"'"'-methyl-pent-2'"'"'-enyl)-5-methyl pyridine.

18. The process of claim 17, wherein the amount of the compound present in the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition is between about 0.2% to about 5%.

19. The process of claim 3, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition is present in a spray or roll on solution.

20. The process of claim 3, wherein the bag has an interior surface, and at least a portion of the interior surface has an effective amount of the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition releasably absorbed thereinto, wherein the bag is formed of a flexible non-porous material which is not substantially damaged upon exposure to agitation and to a temperature effective to cause the release of the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition from the interior surface.

21. A method for removing a stain from a soiled fabric article, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) placing into a bag the soiled fabric article and an effective amount of a dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition comprising polysulfonic acid and water;

wherein the bag is formed of vapor impermeable material and includes an opening comprising a fastening system;

(b) closing the fastening system;

(c) tumbling the bag in a rotary clothes dryer at an elevated temperature, so that the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition contacts the soiled fabric article within the bag so as to effectively disperse the stain; and

(d) opening the fastening system and removing the cleaned fabric article from the bag.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein, prior to step (a), an amount of the dry-cleaning and/or fabric freshening composition is applied to the soiled fabric article to loosen the stain.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the amount of dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition prior to step (a) is applied by rubbing or dabbing the soiled fabric article with the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition so as to loosen and remove stain from the soiled fabric article.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the amount of dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition prior to step (a) is applied either by spraying, rolling on or dipping the soiled fabric article with the dry cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition.

25. A kit for dry-cleaning or fabric-freshening a fabric article, comprising:

(i) a dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition comprising polysulfonic acid and water; and

(ii) a bag formed of a vapor impermeable material and including an opening comprising a fastening system.

26. A method for cleaning and/or freshening a fabric article comprising the step of contacting the fabric article with an effective amount of a dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition comprising polysulfonic acid and water, under such conditions that the fabric article is cleaned and/or freshened.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition comprises between about 0.25 and about 20 weight percent polysulfonic acid.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition comprises between about 10 and about 99.75 weight percent water.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition further comprises at least one water-miscible or partially water-miscible organic solvent.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of glycol ethers, liquid polyethylene glycols, C₂ -C₄ polyols, lactones and mixtures thereof.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of dipropylene glycol n-propyl ether, dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether, tripropylene glycol methyl ether, 3-methoxy-3-methyl-1-butanol and γ

-butyrolactone.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition comprises between about 1 and about 85 weight percent of the organic solvent.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition further comprises a surfactant.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the surfactant is present in the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition in an amount between about 0.01 and about 10 weight percent.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein the dry-cleaning composition and/or fabric-freshening further comprises gelling agents or viscosity modifiers.

36. The method of claim 26, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition further comprises an agent selected from the group consisting of fabric-softening agents, anti-creasing agents, anti-soil agents, bacteriostatic agents, brightening agents, bodying agents, dyes, fiber emollients, finishing agents, fragrances, germicides, lubricants, mildew-proofing agents, moth-proofing agents, shrinkage controllers, sizing agents, and mixtures thereof.

37. The method of claim 26, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition further comprises a compound having a vapor tension of less than or equal to 4 Pa at 25°

C., which is selected from the group consisting of C₁₀ -C₁₂ aliphatic alcohols, C₁₀ -C₁₃ aldehydes, C₁₃ -C₁₈ aliphatic ketones, aromatic ketones having a musk odor and up to 18 carbon atoms, C₈ -C₁₅ aliphatic esters, methyl anthranilate, methyl N-methylanthranilate, p-cresyl phenylacetate, amyl salicylate, coumarin, dihydrocoumarin, gammadecalactone, dodecalactone, undecalactone, eugenol, isoeugenol, diphenyl oxide, the methyl and ethyl ethers of naphthol, galaxolide, indole and its reaction products with hydroxycitronella, tridecene-2-nitrile, and 2-(2'"'"'-methyl-pent-2'"'"'-enyl)-5-methyl pyridine.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the amount of the compound present in the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition is between about 0.2 to about 5 weight percent.

39. The method of claim 26, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition is present on a substrate.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of a sheet, a sponge, a dauber, a stick, granules and a cube.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the substrate is a sheet.

42. The method of claim 26, wherein the dry-cleaning and/or fabric-freshening composition is present in a spray or roll on solution.